Hybrid miniature rose plant named Benfig

ABSTRACT

A new variety of hybrid miniature rose plant producing large long urn-shaped buds, flowers with delicate colorations of white edged with pink and long stems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid miniaturerose. The plant is of a dwarf, bushy growth habit suitable for growingoutdoor for garden decoration and also for producing cut flowers. It hasas its seed parent the variety known as `Rise `n` Shine` (U.S. PlantPat. No. 4,231) and as its pollen parent the variety known as `Laguna`(unpatented). The varietal denomination of the new variety is `Benfig`.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from othercultivars are the following combination of characteristics: large longurn-shaped buds, delicate colorations of white edged with pinksubstantially as described and illustrated herein, long stems suitablefor cut flower production, and its vigorous free-flowering plant.`Benfig` may be propagated by cuttings, budding, grafting and tissueculture.

Asexual propagation of the new variety by cuttings and budding asperformed in Kern County and Upland, Calif., has shown that theforegoing and other distinguishing characteritics come true to form andare established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENT VARIETIES

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, `Rise `n` Shine`by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the seed parentproduces flowers of a uniform yellow coloration, `Benfig` produces whiteflowers with a pink picotee essentially as described and illustratedherein. Whereas the new cultivar bears large long pointed buds, largeflowers and foliage for the class, `Rise `n` Shine` bears significantlysmaller buds, flowers and foliage. `Benfig` produces stems which arelong for the class and which are suitable for cut flower production,whereas the seed parent bears significantly shorter stems not suited forcut flower production.

The new variety may be distinguished form its pollen parent, `Laguna` bythe following combination of characteristics: whereas the pollen parentis a Floribunda, `Benfig` is a Miniature, being significantly smaller inflower, foliage and stem. `Laguna` produces flowers of a relativelyuniform lavender coloration, whereas `Benfig` bears white flowers with apink picotee, essentially as aforesaid. The pollen parent has a verystrong fragrance, whereas the new cultivar has significantly lighterfragrance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the plant in color and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in an illustration of this character.Throughout this specification, color names and values are based upon theColour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England,except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF NEW VARIETY

The following description pertains to rose plants of the new cultivargrown outdoors in October, in Upland, Calif. and is believed to apply toplants of the variety grown elsewhere in similar conditions of soil andclimate.

FLOWER

The new variety bears its flowers sometimes singly, usually three tofour or more per stem. Flowers are borne in irregular flat to roundedclusters on strong long stems for this class. Outdoor the plant bloomsvery freely and nearly continuously during the growing season. Theflowers have a slight tea fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of short to average length for the class, of average toheavy caliper, and usually erect and stiff. It is almost entirely smoothwith some hairs and few stipitate glands. Peduncle color is betweenYellow-Green 144A and Green 137A. Before the calyx breaks, the bud ismoderately large for the class, moderately long in length, and verypointed in shape. The surface of the bud is almost entirely smooth withfew stipitate glands and fine hairs, usually with slender entirefoliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud equal to 3/4 ormore of its length. Bud color is between Yellow-Green 144A and Green137A.

The inner surface of the sepals is lined with fine woolly tomentum;sepal margins are lined with few stipitate glands and hairs.

As the first petals open, the bud is moderately large for the class, ofmoderately long length, and very pointed to urn-shaped in form. Thecolor of the outside surfaces of the newly opened petals is betweenYellow-White 158D and White 155D. The very edge of the petal is finelyedged with between Red 56A and Red 56B. The color of the inside surfacesof the newly opened petals is as above with a broader wash at the veryedge of the petal of between Red 56A and Red 56B. It opens well in wet,cold, hot or dry weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is moderately large for the class, rangingfrom 6 to 7 cms. in diameter. Petalage is double with 26 to 30 petalsand 2 to 5 petaloids arranged regularly. When partially open, the bloomform is very high centered and the petals are moderately reflexedoutward. When fully open, the bloom form is somewhat flat to cupped andthe petals are more undulated with petal edges more reflexed to quilledoutward.

PETALS

The petals are of moderately heavy substance and of medium thickness,with inside surfaces slightly satiny to velvety and outside surfacesslightly shiny to satiny. The outside petals are nearly round to broadlyobovate in shape with apices somewhat mucronate. The inside petals aremore narrowly obovate to lanceolate in shape with slightly mucronateapices.

The color values and the following description are of flowers a plantgrown outdoor in Upland, Calif. in the month of October. Colors may bemodified by being washed or shaded or tinted with other colors.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The outside surface of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween White 155B and White 155D with a very small zone at the verybase point of petal attachment, of near Yellow 2C. The very edge of theoutside surface of the petal is washed with between Red 56A and Red 56B.The inside surface of the outer, intermediate and inner petals is asabove with a much broader wash at the edge of the petals of between Red56A and Red 56B.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between White 155Band White 155D edged with a wash of between Red 56A and Red 56B.

THREE DAY OLD FLOWER

The outside surface of the outer and inner petals is between White 155Dand White 155A. The very edge of the outside surface of the petal iswashed with between Red 56C and Red 56D. The inside surface of the outerand inner petals is as above with a somewhat broader wash at the edge ofthe petals of between Red 56C and Red 56D.

The general tonality of a three day old flower is between White 155D andWhite 155A, slightly blushed with a wash of between Red 56C and Red 56D.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly fading to nearWhite 155D, and are not particularly affected by changes in weather.

In October, blooms on the bush growing in the garden generally last fromthree to four or more days. Cut flowers, from plants grown outdoor, keptat normal indoor living temperatures generally last from three to fouror more days. Cut flowers, from plants grown in a greenhouse, kept atnormal indoor living temperatures generally last from four to five ormore days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are average in number and are arranged regularly about thepistil. The filaments are moderately long, most with anthers. Theanthers are somewhat large for the class and all open approximately atthe same time. Anther color is near Yellow-Orange 15A when immature andnear Greyed-Orange 177A at maturity. Pollen is moderate and nearYellow-Orange 16C in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils are somewhat few in number (approximately 25). The styles aremoderately even, short to average in length, somewhat thin in caliper,and somewhat loosely bunched. Stigma color is near Red 43D. Ovaries areusually all enclosed in the calyx.

Hips have not been observed on this variety in Upland, Calif.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five, sometimesseven leaflets and are borne in moderately abundant quantities. Theleaves are moderately large for the class, somewhat heavy to leathery intexture, and somewhat semi-glossy to matte in finish. The leaflets areshaped moderately ovate with somewhat acute to acuminate apices andmoderately round to acute bases. Their margins are somewhat doublyserrate to irregular.

The upper surface of the mature leaf is between Yellow-Green 147A andGreen 136A. The undersurface of the mature leaf is between Yellow-Green148B and Green 138B. The upper surface of the young leaf is betweenYellow-Green 147A and Green 136A, sometimes lightly suffused withbetween Greyed-Orange 176A and Greyed-Purple 183C. The undersurface ofthe young leaf is between Yellow-Green 148B and Green 137B, oftenheavily suffused with between Greyed-Orange 176A and Greyed-Purple 183C.

The rachis is moderately heavy in caliper, very smooth and grooved withfew stipitate glands on the edges of the upper side. The underside ofthe rachis is moderately smooth with few prickles.

The stipules are of short to medium length with moderately narrow widthand short to medium straight points that usually turn out at an angle ofabout 45 degrees.

The plant displays an average degree of resistance to powdery mildew andrust as compared to other commercial varieties grown under comparableconditions in Upland, Calif.

GROWTH

The plant is dwarf bushy medium height habit, 18 to 20 inches atmaturity, with moderately full branching. It displays very vigorousgrowth and the canes are of medium to heavy caliper for the class.

The major stems are between Yellow-Green 146A and Green 137C. They bearfew large prickles which are medium length to long for the class. Thelarge prickles are almost straight but hooked slightly downward, with amedium length, moderately narrow base; prickle color is nearGreyed-Orange 165A. The major stem bears no small prickles and no hairs.

The branches are between Yellow-Green 147A and Green 137A. They bear afew large prickles which are of medium length to long for the class. Thelarge prickles are almost straight but hooked slightly downward, with amedium length, moderately narrow base; prickle color is betweenGreyed-Orange 165B and Greyed-Orange 166C. The branches bear few smallprickles of similar coloration and no hairs.

The new shoots are near Yellow-Green 147A often heavily suffused withbetween Greyed-Orange 176C and Greyed-Purple 183C. They bear a few largeprickles which are medium length to long for the class. The largeprickles are almost straight but hooked slightly downward with a mediumlength, moderately narrow base; prickle color is between Greyed-Orange176C and Greyed-Red 178A. The shoots bear few small prickles of similarcoloration and no hairs.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of the miniature rose class,substantially as shown and described.